Young Citizens' Action Agenda

Young Citizens’ Action Agenda
for
The UK
Presented to the Government
December 2008
A Campaign By
Supported By
The views expressed in this report are those of the young authors based on survey results and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the organisations supporting the project.
For more information please see: www.citizen.org.uk.

21st Century Challenges for Citizenship…
• Democracy matters, is fragile and should not be
About the Institute for Citizenship
Young Citizens’ Action AgendaUK, December 2008
Who we are…
• The IfC is a national independent charity that promotes
• Democratic participation
• Citizenship life skills
• The IfC was formed in 1992, following the work of the UK All-Party Parliamentary
Commission on Citizenship
• The IfC has pioneered a range of Citizenship resources in response to the introduction of
Citizenship Education as part of the National Curriculum in 2002.
What is Citizenship?
• Traditionally, it describes the relationship between the citizen and the state
• Citizenship Education is about acquiring skills that enable us to participate in the decision
making that shapes our future by understanding the political processes, institutions, laws,
rights and responsibilities of our democratic system
• Increasingly, Citizenship describes relationships between citizens, communities and our
multiple identities
• Democracy matters, is fragile and should not be
taken for granted
• The health of democracy depends on the
quality of the relationship between citizen and
state
• This relationship depends on an understanding
of respective roles, rights and responsibilities
• The relationship between the citizen and the
state has changed and is changing
• We need to redefine roles and responsibilities
between citizen and state for the 21st Century .
What we do…
• From research to practical projects
• We promote political literacy, social and moral understanding and active participation
• We help bridge the skills and participation gap
• We encourage people to play a positive part in politics and society.
Democracy, a just society, free elections, life skills…
Citizenship matters to everyone…
The Institute for Citizenship
60 Queen Victoria Street,
London EC4N 4TW
Tel: 020 7844 5444
Email: info@citizen.org.uk
Website: www.citizen.org.uk

“We can’t expect young people to participate
in society unless we’re serious about
listening to their views. We know that young
people are passionate about the issues that
affect their lives and we must give them
opportunities to question those who make
the decisions.”
David Dimbleby
President, Institute for Citizenship
for
The UK
Authors: Young Citizens’ UK Action Panel
Christopher Hennan, Eleanor Sturgeon, Jane Thomas,
John McGlade, Kashmira Gander, Oluwayemisi Adelana,
Paul McMillan and Tasmia Akkas
Co-ordinating Editors
Zandria Pauncefort, Jon Fitzmaurice and Stephanie Smith
Institute for Citizenship
© Institute for Citizenship 2008
ISBN 978-1-902482-15-6
This Action Agenda was published by the Institute for Citizenship, December 2008
www.citizen.org.uk
i

Aims of the Young Citizens’ Action Agenda Project
In May 2008 the Institute for Citizenship – together with the BBC, City of London
Corporation, Greater London Authority (GLA), Parliament’s Education Service, BT, Steljes
and the Evening Standard – launched a project for young people aged 14-19 that aimed to:
• Give students briefings on 21st century social, economic and political challenges
• Promote skills to enable young people to have a voice in tackling problems
• Promote participation and active citizenship
• Help society to see young people in a more positive light.
Young Citizens’ Say (YCS) Research Survey / Report
In June 2008, 2,000 students aged 14–19 were encouraged to take part in a Young Citizens’
Say survey answering a wide range of questions on politics and society. Over 1,100 surveys
were completed and returned to the Institute for Citizenship.
Young Citizens’ Action Event – July 10th 2008
In July 2008, 1,400 students from London and across the UK met at Central Hall,
Westminster, for briefings and debates on Politics, Economics and Citizenship. Leading BBC
presenters, MPs and businessmen gave briefings and answered questions.
• Huw Edwards (Presenter, BBC News), David Dimbleby (Chair, BBC Question Time),
Andrew Marr (BBC Andrew Marr Show), Mark Easton (BBC Home Editor), Jane Hill (BBC
News 24), Mark Thompson (Director-General, BBC), Hardeep Singh Kohli (Comedian),
Sir Mike Rake (Chairman, BT), Michael Cassidy CBE (City of London Corporation), the Rt
Hon Ed Miliband MP and the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP.
Young People’s Panels
After the July event, two panels of young people – for London and the UK – were formed to
prepare Action Agendas for the Prime Minister and Mayor of London. The Agendas aim to:
• Inform the PM and Mayor of areas where young people need government support
• Inform the PM and Mayor of action young people could take to help with practical
problems.
Young Citizens’ Say… Research launched (19th November 2008)
The research findings from the Young Citizens’ Say survey were launched at The Crick +10
Event at Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament on 19th November 2008. The event marked
the 10th Anniversary of Professor Sir Bernard Crick’s Education for Citizenship and the
Teaching of Democracy in Schools Report (1998), recommending the introduction of
Citizenship as part of the statutory secondary curriculum.
Young Citizens’ Action Agendas delivered to PM and Mayor (December 2008)
The Action Agendas produced by the Young Citizens’ Panels, in consultation with other
pupils, will be presented to the Government and the Mayor of London in December 2008 and
January 2009. ii

UK PanelThe UK Panel were randomly chosen from over 400 applicants who volunteered to take
part. Their task was to use data from over 1,100 surveys and to prepare an Action Agenda,
representing young people throughout the UK, for the Prime Minister and Government.
Kashmira Gander, 17, Brighton
I am currently studying English Literature, English Language, Politics and Philosophy
and when I graduate from university I hope to become a journalist. In my spare time I
help to organise a local festival.
John McGlade, 17, Cheltenham
I am currently studying for my A levels in Economics, History and Politics. I hope to
study Politics at university. In the future I aspire to become a political journalist.
UK Panel
Olwuyemisi Adelana, 17, Middlesex
My name is Yemisi Adelana and I study English, Law and History at A-level. In my
spare time I dance with a group that performs at youth charity functions.
Christopher Hennan, 17, Port Glasgow
I am a member of the Army Cadet Force and enjoy helping out in my local community.
This Action Agenda has interested me because now I think that if someone high up
(like the PM) can take an interest in what I have to say, then maybe my example can
influence other young people to try to get involved with their local government.
Thank you to everyone who has taken part in the Action Agenda Panels including Tasmia Akkas, William
Nicholson, Gemma Hawkins, Benjamin Brookes, David Shetcliffe, Emily Csizmazia, Jack Pepper, Matthew
Duck, Maria Woodcraft, Rochelle Wilson, Vanessa Kwame, Viraj Patel, Christopher Donaldson, Elvige Pouli
and all those who took part in the Consultation process.
Jane Thomas, 17, Cirencester
I have always been interested in politics and the direct effect it has on our everyday
lives. The Action Agenda has been such an enjoyable experience for me and I feel I
have been able to make a contribution to the political process in the UK!
Eleanor Sturgeon, 17, Brecon Beacons
I am currently at the Sixth Form at Gwernyfed High School studying Biology, Physics,
Chemistry and Geography. I am a very keen Explorer Scout through which I have
gained many other hobbies including kayaking and longbow archery. I am an
enthusiastic individual and strive to reach the highest standard in everything I do.
Paul McMillan, 16, Glasgow
Being part of the team that made the Young Citizens’ Action Agenda really opened
my eyes to the life that most young people face each day and taught me that we
should fight to have our say in our future. Overall, I really enjoyed taking part in it and
think it would be a really great idea to continue each year.
iii

• The Young Citizens’ Action Agenda Project (YCAA) has placed a focus on deliberative
democracy
• The 1,400 young people from London and the UK who attended the event in
Westminster on 10th July 2008 received Economic, Political and Citizenship briefings
• The 1,112 young people who took part in the Young Citizens’ Say survey were asked a
broad range of questions to get them to think about their roles and responsibilities in
wider society
• The young people randomly selected to be on the UK Panel – from over 400 who
volunteered to take part – have had the opportunity to discuss the challenges and
opportunities they face and to learn about some of the action being taken
• They have been encouraged to reflect not only on what they would like Government to
do to support them and improve their lives and opportunities, but of equal importance,
to consider what they, as young people could do to help build a better future
• Although the London and UK participants in the Action Event and the Survey were not
randomly selected, the process has been inclusive and those involved are broadly
representative of young people aged 16-18 though probably with more of an interest in
politics than their peers
• The views expressed in this document are those of the young people involved in
the Young Citizens’ UK Panel and not necessarily those of the organisations
involved in the project. The Action Plans are based on responses to the Young
Citizens’ Say survey and the deliberative process that the Panel has beenCitizens’ Say survey and the deliberative process that the Panel has been
through. Although curriculum pressures make it difficult to get responses from
schools, a draft of the document was e-mailed to UK schools for comment.
(Unless otherwise stated, all statistics quoted in the document are from the Institute for
Citizenship’s Young Citizens’ Say survey taken in July/August 2008 and the Young
Citizens’ Action Event voting taken on the 10th July 2008.)
Huw Edwards (Newsreader, BBC) talks about Economics with Michael Cassidy CBE (City of London
Corporation), Sir Mike Rake (Chairman, BT), Nik Wood (BBC Two’s Working Lunch) and 1,400 young
citizens at the Young Citizens’ Action Event at Central Hall, Westminster on 10th July 2008.
iv

Our London, Our Future
Our United Kingdom, Our Future
for
The UK
Our London, Our Future
Contents
Our Challenges and Opportunities 2
Our Lives 3
Our Communities 6
Our UK 9
Our World 13
Our Future: Closing Statement 15
References 16
Acknowledgements 17
1

Challenges
& Opportunities
Growing up in the UK in the 21st Century
As a generation of young people, we feel we have the desire, potential and the drive to make
a positive contribution to the communities we live in. This Action Agenda highlights the ways in
which we feel the Government and wider society can offer us the support and opportunity to
be active in our communities and be recognised for our achievements.
As young people, we in turn also recognise that we can help the Government and ourselves to
achieve these aims. This is why we have suggested ways in which we can actively contribute
to the schemes and ideas we have outlined to make them successful for young people
throughout the UK.
Our Challenges
• In the UK, nearly half of all young people (44%) do not feel safe from people of their own
age group some of the time
• Young people believe there is a negative opinion of their generation: nearly three out of
every five believe adults in their area have a negative opinion of young people and twoevery five believe adults in their area have a negative opinion of young people and two
thirds think that their generation is portrayed unfairly by the media
• Two out of every three young people do not think there are enough facilities and things to
do in their local area
• Environmental challenges: four out of every five young people are worried about the
environment
• Risk of social exclusion: Over half of young people feel like an outsider at least some of the
time and over half of young people believe they have no way of influencing politics.
Our Opportunities
• Most young people in the UK want to take an active part in their communities. Nearly two-
thirds already volunteer at least once a month, and over a quarter would like the
opportunity to do so
• Young people are eager to acquire new skills. Two thirds of young UK citizens like school
and 90% would like school to teach them about basic financial matters and life skills
• Young people think it is important to be active citizens: 94% think it is important to recycle
and 90% of them already recycle at home
• Over half of young citizens are excited about London 2012 Games and think they will
deliver lasting achievements. Two thirds of young people see themselves as global as well
as local citizens
• Young people want to take an active part in society: over three quarters of young people
say they would vote in a General Election tomorrow if they could
• Young people understand their role as citizens: 91% of the 1,400 young people voting at
the Young Citizens’ Action Event believe they have responsibilities as well as rights.
2

1. Places To Be and Things To Do
As young people, we feel that we do not have enough access to our own spaces which we
can have a voice in shaping and running. Indeed, 67% of young people do not believe they
have enough facilities or things to do in their local area. In order to feel part of a community,
we need to have our own places to go to, such as youth and community centres. In order to
create ownership of such spaces we, as young people, need to be consulted on what
activities these spaces provide and we would like to be encouraged and given the opportunity
to be involved in running them. We would like more access to positive community-based
activities and resources which would teach us skills.
What the Government Can Do
• As part of the Youth Participation Agenda and the Aiming High for Young People 10-Year
Strategy, we would like the Government to continue supporting the ‘myplace’ scheme, but
also come up with more innovative ways in which young people can actually be made
aware of the schemes and opportunities that are already available to them.
Our Lives
1
• While we recognise that the Government and other agencies are seeking to help place
young people at the heart of their work, as a group, young people are still mostly unaware
of the many schemes, plans and funds available through initiatives such as the Youth
Opportunity Fund and Youth Capital Fund.
• Schools are our main community and this is where many successful extra-curricular
activities are based. We would like the Government to provide much more support and
publicity to the extended schools strategy, allowing more access to school facilities out of
hours in order to bring our schools into the wider community. As a group, we feel 13–18
year olds are forgotten and that there is a lack of facilities aimed at our needs. Also, with
the school leaving age set to rise to 18 by 2015, schools will be taking on an even greater
role in the community and need to be prepared to adapt the nature of the services they
provide. Opening more schools up to the community would help create more youth clubs
and centres for teenagers that would be available in the evenings and on weekends when
they need them most. Local Education Authority plans for extended schools should be
much more widely publicised and the programme speeded up.
What Young People Can Do
• We feel we can help support the opening of these spaces by volunteering time to help keep
them clean and usable. This would also encourage more young people to treat them in a
responsible way and take an active role in maintaining them.
• We need to take the lead in running services for young people, as we are the ones who are
best placed to know what we want and need from youth clubs and organisations. We can
get involved in supporting the work of clubs and societies by promoting them to our peers
and actively helping in the running and organisation of them.
3

2. Learning 21st Century Skills
As young people, we are confronted by an unprecedented amount of information from reliable
and unreliable sources on a daily basis. In today’s world, we are expected to cope with more
information than any generation before, via a whole host of media, such as television,
telephone, texting, the Internet, newspapers and magazines.
In recognition of these new challenges, we would like more, and more specific, support in
learning the 21st century life skills necessary to negotiate our way through life successfully and
with confidence. The ability to inquire, analyse, assess and judge critically the information and
arguments we are presented with has the potential to affect the way in which we form our
opinions, make choices and interact with the world and with other citizens. We feel these
skills are an important basis for engagement of all sorts.
• We feel the Government needs to help us build life skills in order to prepare us for life
beyond school and for employment. Lessons in subjects such as Citizenship and topics
such as media literacy help encourage responsible engagement with the world and enable
us to use the information we are confronted with to our best advantage.
• While we recognise the importance of these life skills, we feel that they are sometimes
regarded as ‘soft’ skills and considered less important in an already busy curriculum. We
need the support and expertise of our teachers for them to be taught well. As such, we
2
need the support and expertise of our teachers for them to be taught well. As such, we
would like the Government to recognise that life skills are important for our future beyond
school and for our development as active citizens.
• We would like the Government to make clear its commitment to the teaching of Citizenship
life skills for the 21st century and to strengthen those areas of the curriculum that are best
able to support this education, incorporating additional opportunities for learning life skills
into the secondary school curriculum.
• As young people, we can be more
pro-active. We can create or
participate in student newspapers,
debating societies and radio
stations, take up a part-time job or
voluntary work where we can learn
and practice these skills in a
working environment and feel part
of the community.
• Schools can also support the
development of these skills
through greater support of extra-
curricular activities, such as
debating societies, as well as the
expansion and promotion of
volunteering opportunities beyond
school.
We need relevant life skills to be able to interpret
21st century information such as media reports
4

3. Developing Financial Literacy
As young people, we are worried that, despite the proliferation of information available to us,
often we do not have access to the information we really need. Many young people know very
little about personal finance, yet issues such as responsible financial planning, savings
accounts, loans, credit cards, pension plans and contributions are a critical part of adult life.
This lack of knowledge is more pressing as we become more aware of the role of the
economy in our lives and the likely impact of the global economic crisis which will impact on
us directly.
Some 90% of young people in our Young Citizens’ Say survey feel they need to be taught
financial skills and financial responsibility. We recognise that schools play a key role in
preparing us for life as adults and as such would like them to play a major role in helping us
develop these critical skills.
• We would like subjects such as Maths to incorporate more practical lessons with basic
information about personal finances and the role of the economy. This would help to link
the subject to the real world and help make the subject seem applicable in a variety of out-
of-school situations.
• We welcome the fact that PSHE in
secondary schools will now teach young
3
1. Innovative ways of providing unbiased information on personal finance and basic
economic understanding within our communities, universities, colleges, and workplaces.
We feel financial literacy is vital to being an active citizen and without these skills we –
and other citizens – will not be able to take a full part in society.
2. New ways of encouraging our schools to support us in this area by inviting bank
managers or financial experts from the local community to talk to us about basic
financial issues, such as mortgages, loans and credit cards, before we leave school. We
recognise that certain banks already run structured initiatives in schools and would like
to see these schemes made much more widely available across the country.
• Young people can encourage their schools to invite financial experts or bank managers to
visit their school to educate them about how to use a bank and its services.
• Young people – armed with some basic information and education – can listen to the news,
look at financial news websites and learn to read the financial pages of newspapers.
secondary schools will now teach young
people about economic well-being and
financial literacy. As 16-18 year-olds
however, the opportunity to benefit from
these lessons has passed us by. To help all
young people, we would like the
Government to explore:
5

Our Communities
4. Getting Involved in Volunteering
Our generation is the most likely to volunteer, with 63% of us volunteering at least once a
month in our local communities. In order to make the most of this enthusiasm for voluntary
work, we feel we need even more Government support to help us access volunteer groups
and schemes, as a further 27% of us would like to volunteer but do not feel we have the
opportunity.
Many opportunities to volunteer already exist. We, as young people, want to be connected to
these groups and opportunities. As such, we would like the Government to:
• Create and support Community Volunteer Centres in every community to promote the work
of volunteering and advertise opportunities for young people. Part of their work could be
visiting schools and places of work to recruit volunteers.
• Make volunteering a formal part of the school curriculum and encourage students to
4
• Make volunteering a formal part of the school curriculum and encourage students to
volunteer an hour of their time each week as part of the PSHE/Citizenship curriculum. This
volunteering programme would benefit from a clear structure and skill-building programme
and could lead to a new NVQ. A recognised qualification in volunteering would help young
people build up employability skills and interact with the community, as well as give them
an extra qualification for employment.
• Provide a high-profile and easily accessible website portal that young people can help
develop and access, which provides information about volunteering opportunities in our
local communities.
• We, as young people, can be
even more pro-active and look for
opportunities to volunteer by
ourselves instead of waiting for
groups to approach us.
• We can also take advantage of
the existing opportunities
available to us, such as the Duke
of Edinburgh Award scheme and
'World Challenge' for volunteering
projects overseas.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is one way we can
get involved in volunteering in our communities
6

5. Bridging the Generation Gap
As young people, we would like our voices to be heard and our experiences recognised by the
rest of society. Our generation wants to contribute to the society we live in and we would like
to be acknowledged for our achievements and respected by adults and peers for being active
members of our communities.
• We recognise that many adults are intimidated by us when we gather in large groups in
town centres. As young people we feel this is happening because we have few alternative
choices available to us in terms of leisure activities. This is why we would like to urge the
Government and our Local Councils to support the creation and maintenance of additional
youth centres and sports grounds, where possible, or permit the use of existing buildings or
extended school opening.
• We believe Government support for grass-roots community organisations can bring people
and communities together and span existing generation gaps in local areas. We are aware
that the Government provides funds to such groups, but we fear that the local organisations
that need the funds most are not being connected with, or made aware of the funding
opportunities available to them.
• As a generation, we are enthusiastic about volunteering. We also believe that volunteering
within our local community is the best way to help bring people of all ages together and
5
within our local community is the best way to help bring people of all ages together and
strengthen community cohesion. As such, we would like our main community, our school,
to support our voluntary efforts locally by providing us with information on volunteering and
by giving us opportunities within our timetables to volunteer locally.
• As young people, we are aware that our
behaviour in society is key to creating a positive
relationship between us and the adults that make
up the rest of our community. Like other people in
society, we acknowledge that we have a
responsibility to behave in a respectful manner
towards others.
• Within certain schools and community groups
other young people have shown that trans-
generational projects can be popular. Cooperation
between youth groups and senior citizens’
organisations already exists and we can join these
projects or start them ourselves.
• We can be active within our communities in other
ways. We can volunteer to help in old people’s
homes, teach ICT skills to older people or work
with other voluntary groups in our local area.
The old and the young often
mistrust each other, but by
working together they can
bridge the generation gap
7

6. Getting About - Transport
As young people we need access to transport in order to have the freedom to participate in a
variety of activities in our local areas. Access to regular, reliable transport in urban and,
especially, rural areas allows us to be active and able citizens within our communities. In rural
areas, limited access to public transport for young people can severely limit our ability to meet
with friends, attend extra-curricular activities and lead our lives in an outgoing way. Young
people – all people – need to be aware of their behaviour on public transport.
Safe, reliable and inclusive public transport is especially important to those young people who
do not have access to any other types of transport or who are not fortunate enough to have
parents or carers who can transport them to where they need to be.
• To make young people feel an active part of society and give them access to a wide range
of amenities, we would like the Government to:
1. Provide regular, affordable and reliable public
transport for all communities and ensure that
peak times (such as school starting and
closing times) are catered for to encourage
young people to take public transport instead
of taking lifts with guardians. This would also
6
of taking lifts with guardians. This would also
have an environmental benefit.
2. Introduce more cycling paths, and possibly
cycle loan or hire schemes, to make it easier
and safer for young people to travel
independently. Currently, some areas are very
well-catered for and in other areas cycle
paths suddenly stop.
More cycle lanes can create a safe
way for young people to travel - and
help the environment too
Regular, affordable and reliable public
transport helps young people get around
and participate in society
• We need to behave well when using
public transport in order to retain our
right to free or subsidised travel or to
promote its extension.
• Through school councils, we could
help create a sustainable timetable by
informing local councils and bus/train
operators of times when there are not
enough services.
8

7. Relating to Decision Makers
As young people, we would like to be involved in the political process, but currently 51% of us
feel we have no influence in the political sphere. As a whole, we do not feel we necessarily
need to have the voting age reduced in order to do this, as 57% of the young people in our
survey are against lowering the voting age to 16. For us, meaningful democracy means
having public bodies, such as National and Local Government, acknowledging that our
opinions matter. We would like public bodies to consult us on the services that are provided
for us, especially in schools, as this is our main community and the first place where we learn
about democracy.
We think the Government should make Citizenship Education and PSHE more interactive and
related to the real world. We would like to see a national Young Citizens’ Say Day that
encourages young people and decision makers to interact with each other. This celebration
would give young people throughout the country a chance to engage with decisions makers,
such as Government Ministers, MPs, MEPs, and local Councillors, and gain a better
Our UK
7
such as Government Ministers, MPs, MEPs, and local Councillors, and gain a better
understanding of how society works and how young citizens can have an influence on politics.
As part of the Young Citizens’ Say Day we would like to see:
• Young people recognise there are ways of influencing politics and current affairs outside
the voting process. We can donate our time or money to charities, create and sign petitions
and write to Local Councillors and MPs – but not all young people know about these
activities. We would like those best placed to teach us about our democracy, our schools,
to take a much stronger, more comprehensive and active part in teaching us about our
democratic processes and we should get involved.
• A Young Persons’ Prime Minister’s Questions
Every question asked by an MP to the Prime
Minister would be submitted by a young
person from their constituency
• A National Survey of Young People
A survey that asks young people across the
UK their opinions on issues of current
importance to publicise young citizens’ worries
and concerns
• Open Days at all Parliaments, Assemblies,
Regional Bodies and Town Halls
all public bodies opening their doors to schools
and youth groups so young people can
discover how democracy works at national,
regional and local levels. A National Young Citizens’ Say Day
would allow young people all over
the UK to interact with Parliament
9

8. Education not Examination
Our generation is aware that after we leave school we will need to access and use a range of
skills that employers look for, such as team-work, inquiry and communication skills. We
currently fear that our schools are not seeking to teach us information or skills that will not be
tested for, despite their critical importance to our future. In our opinion, there is no incentive for
teachers or students to build information and knowledge that is relevant for successful living if
it is not in the curriculum.
The media often suggest that young people are not prepared for the workplace and while
numeracy and literacy are clearly of vital significance, it appears that employers are looking
for something more in terms of ‘can do’ ability, communications and team and character
building.
• Despite the targets set out in the Leitch
Review of Skills, we still feel that the
teaching of skills for life and
employment is not seen as a serious
target in our schools. In order to
encourage teachers to make the
teaching of these skills a real priority
across all subjects, we feel Ofsted
8
• As young people there are large pressures on us to perform well at school through
examinations. Outside of this, however, many of us do not feel fully prepared for life in the
adult world. We feel that an emphasis on extra-curricular activities within school, such as
debating or the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, are not only worthwhile projects, but are
well placed to teach us skills for employment.
• We can ensure that we seek opportunities to gain more work experience while still at
school.
• We can join clubs and school societies that help promote the development of life skills,
such as young enterprise initiatives, school councils, student newspapers and public
speaking clubs which will increase our levels of confidence.
across all subjects, we feel Ofsted
inspectors and others need to support
this agenda. It is important for local
businesses to engage more with school
communities and to send speakers
regularly into school to talk with
students about business issues,
providing practical and independent
careers advice.
Exams are one way to test young people,
but there are many other equally good and
practical methods
10

9. Learning How Society Works
We feel that young people are not unique in taking our institutions and public bodies for
granted. For young people and society in general to fully understand and appreciate the
structures of society and its system of governance we need to be taught more about it. This
will in turn help us to become active citizens - better able to access and communicate with
these organisations as adults.
• We think some young people lack respect for
institutions, public bodies and the infrastructure of
society because they do not understand how they
work. It is important to try to make the institutions
of national and local Government more open and
relevant to young people. We would like the
Government to encourage public institutions to
explain their roles by providing more relevant
communication and resources on what they do,
how they work and how people can engage with
them.
• We feel that PSHE and Citizenship classes are well
placed to provide us with the basic information we
9
• Instead of complaining about infrastructure we should try to research and understand the
reasons why things are done as they are and help by providing constructive feedback to
the relevant authorities.
• We should try to be active citizens: if we are unhappy with Government services or
products, we should try to contact the relevant public bodies to make our views known and
help improve services for everyone in our community. Finally, of course, we should vote
when we are able to.
placed to provide us with the basic information we
need to learn about how our society is governed
and structured. However, our Young Citizens’ Say
survey has indicated that, because Citizenship can
be taught across the curriculum and in a variety of
ways, many young people do not actually know
that they are being taught Citizenship and some
schools are neglecting the political literacy aspect
of the Citizenship curriculum – perhaps because it
is perceived to be difficult or controversial. The
importance of the political literacy elements of
Citizenship should be stressed.
Learning about institutions like
the Courts of Justice is a good
way to understand how 21st
century Britain works
11

10. YoungGov – A Portal For All Young Citizens
We are a generation that has grown up surrounded by a vast amount of information. In point
2, we talked about acquiring skills to enable us to judge this level of information critically. In
addition, we would like to be able to access trustworthy information specifically for our age
group via an interactive portal over which we could exercise some ownership and control.
Government initiatives like www.connexions-direct.com are a great source of formal
information; however, we would like to provide input into informal information portals about
activities, events and facilities for young people.
Our generation is faced with many modern challenges and one key issue is the rapid pace of
technological change. While the ease with which we can now access information sharing
networks has empowered us at an earlier age than ever before, this also means we are faced
with greater responsibilities at an earlier age. This means we constantly need to develop skills
to adapt to new technological changes through ICT education.
• We would like the Government to set up a website, YoungGov, specifically for young
people. In order to make it useful and successful as a scheme, we think it is important that
young people be co-creators of this venture, able to edit and provide information about our
communities in an interactive way. We have lots of knowledge about the activities and
facilities in our area which are good for young people. Young people trust peer-to-peer
recommendations and this portal would allow us to share valuable information with other
10
recommendations and this portal would allow us to share valuable information with other
young citizens. The website would be a Wiki, contributed to by young people but
moderated by adults (such as youth workers) to ensure that it offered safe and constructive
networking opportunities.
• We would like Government and our schools to recognise that not all young people have
access to the Internet in their homes – yet a significant part of society and communal life
takes place online. We would like the Government to ensure that young people without
Internet access are not disadvantaged by encouraging schools to allow pupils access to
Internet and ICT resources before and after school in order that family or financial
constraints do not hold us back in benefiting from online community involvement.
• We could take responsibility for part ownership of the YoungGov website through
contributing ideas and helping to offer new opportunities to other young people in our area.
• We feel that young people, as users of new
technology, can help provide support to other
generations who are perhaps less adept at
picking up IT skills. We need to ensure that we
share our knowledge of new information by
helping others become as empowered as our
generation.
• We would like the Government to make sure
that legislation keeps pace with technological
change to ensure that, while communications
technology enables a free exchange of ideas,
society is protected, as far as possible, from
illegal or harmful developments.
Access to computers is vital to be a
part of 21st Century society
12

Our World
11. Being a Global Citizen
Young people are very conscious that they are global citizens – 61 per cent agreed with this in
our survey. We want the Government to acknowledge that our generation is very different
from those that have come before. We have different challenges and needs as well as unique
potential to contribute to society.
Results from the Young Citizens’ Say survey show that young people are concerned about
global issues, world peace, global poverty and international security.
• Twin town/city schemes already exist with foreign countries, but more could be done to
make them meaningful to young people. Promoting more communication between young
people in UK schools with fellow students overseas via the Internet would allow young
people to interact with others from across the world and understand new cultures and ways
of living.
11
• The Government could create links with former Olympic and Paralympic countries so that
young people could learn about from other countries’ experiences of hosting the Olympic
and Paralympic Games.
• Young people have long been concerned about the effects of conflict on already high levels
of global poverty. The global economic problems will impact most on the world’s poor. The
UK Government has done much to promote the cancellation of Third World debt, but there
is still more to do.
• Through the 2012 Games we can celebrate the UK’s diversity, the common bonds that
unite us and the links we share with other countries and cultures.
• We can make renewed efforts to
support campaigns such as Make
Poverty History and actively support
other charities that specialise in this
area. In addition, we can help
practically through GAP year and other
volunteering eg. World Vision.
• However, being a global citizen means
tackling local as well as global change.
We need to be aware of our own
footprint and work at ways to improve
how we live sustainably in our local
communities.
Young people feel connected with people
from around the globe
13

12. Being an Environmental Citizen
As the next generation that will have to deal with the issue of global warming, we are
extremely worried by the state of the environment. We believe that the way in which we
choose to address the challenge of climate change will define our generation and our
willingness to take on issues of major global responsibility.
We realise that the decisions we make on a day-to-day basis matter. As consumers, the
things we choose to buy have an effect on the environment. As the next generation, we are
also aware that environmental changes that occur today will be our responsibility tomorrow.
• The Government can set an example to private citizens and Local Councils through the
standardised introduction of rubbish sorting and recycling programmes in government-run
buildings, offices and schools.
• We would also like the Government to implement comprehensive and consistent
environmental policies across the UK:
• Cycle path infrastructure appears to vary across the UK in terms of provision and
promotion and we would like it to be made more consistent in order to encourage its use.
• Local Council provision of recycling is patchy and inconsistent across the UK. We would
12
• Local Council provision of recycling is patchy and inconsistent across the UK. We would
like to see a clear, uniform system put into place so that young people everywhere can
have the same opportunities to put into practice responsible behaviour in the home.
• The Government could also seek to legislate to limit the use of plastic bags and packaging
waste in shops and supermarkets.
• Within our schools we can work through
School Councils and other groups to bring
about school-wide recycling initiatives. We
can petition our head teachers to set up
paper recycling bins in classrooms, to hold
assemblies about rubbish sorting in schools
or even create wormeries or compost heaps
in our schools grounds and gardens.
• As young people, we can choose to act as
responsible citizens. As individuals, we can
act to preserve the environment on an
individual basis: we can recycle the things
we use, walk when possible, cycle, or use
public transport instead of driving. We can
also encourage our families to be more
environmentally responsible.
Supporting the sustainable use of wind
turbines is one of many ways we can
help provide alternative energy
14

Our Future
Young Citizens’ UK Action Panel Closing Statement
Taking part in the Young Citizens Action Project has been an eye opening experience for all of
us and we have learned a lot during the process. Firstly, the ways in which we live in the 21st
century are more complicated and joined up than we had realised:
• The political, economic and citizenship briefings that we received have made us aware of
the size of some of the problems that are facing people globally and locally, from
environmental pollution to the credit crunch
• We have seen the need to try to understand the problems and their complex causes before
leaping to conclusions, and we have realised that politicians are not always to blame
• That does not mean that we should not question what they do. In fact, what we have
learned has made us more eager – and more able – to hold those in power to account
• We have also seen that, very often, work is being undertaken or schemes are available but
we simply do not know about them and are therefore unable to benefit from them
• The project has also made us more aware of the valuable roles that our schools play in
local communities and that this role could be even more important as the idea of extendedlocal communities and that this role could be even more important as the idea of extended
schools becomes reality
• We have also seen that there are many ways in which young people can engage with
politics and society and make a contribution, acquiring skills and experience and helping to
build a better world.
The aim of our work was to:
• Inform the Prime Minister of areas where young people need government support
• Inform the Prime Minister of practical action young people could take to make a difference.
We believe we have done that. Most of all, this has made us aware of the importance of
taking part. It has demonstrated to us, without a doubt, that, as young people we have a part
to play in shaping the future and that the way to do that it is to get involved. We look forward
to the Government’s response to our action proposals and hope there will be an opportunity to
move forward with these ideas.
Institute for Citizenship Closing Statement
It has been rewarding for the Institute to witness the value of a deliberative approach with
young people – one that spans economic, political and social aspects of Citizenship. It is
vital for the future of democracy that we involve people of all ages, and particularly the
next generation of decision makers, in political debate and we have been very impressed
with the ideas and enthusiasm of the UK Young Citizens’ Panel in preparing their Action
Agenda for the Prime Minister. We look forward to working with them in the future.
15

References
1. These initiatives would be of special interest to the Department for Children, Schools and
Families and the Department for Communities and Local Government
2. These initiatives would be of special interest to the Department for Innovation, Universities
and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families
and Skills, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Treasury and the Department for
Children, Schools and Families
and Skills, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department
for Children, Schools and Families
5. These initiatives would be of special interest to the Department of Health and the
Department for Communities and Local Government
6. These initiatives would be of special interest to the Department for Transport and the
Department for Communities and Local Government
7. These initiatives would be of special interest to the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Justice,7. These initiatives would be of special interest to the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Justice,
the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Communities
and Local Government
8. These initiatives would be of special interest to the Department for Children, Schools and
Families, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Innovation,
Universities and Skills
9. These initiatives would be of special interest to the Ministry of Justice, the Department for
Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
10. These initiatives would be of especial interest to the Department for Children, Schools and
Families , the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for
Communities and Local Government
11. These initiatives would be of especial interest to the Department for Children, Schools and
Families , the Department for International Development and the Department for Culture,
Media and Sport
12. These initiatives would be of especial interest to the Department for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs, the Cabinet Office and the Department for Communities and Local
Government
16

Acknowledgements
The Institute for Citizenship would like to thank all those organisations who have supported the
groundbreaking Young Citizens’ Action Agenda :
BBC, City of London Corporation, Greater London Authority, Parliament’s Education Service, BT,
Steljes and the Evening Standard.
The Institute for Citizenship would like to thank the following people for helping to contribute to
the success of the Young Citizens’ Action Agenda project:
Lizz Loxam, Alec McGivan, Melanie Essex (BBC), Danny Lloyd, Steve Anderson, Karen Davies, Gill
Penlington and the Production Team (Mentorn Oxford), Lee Ainsworth and her team (Central Hall),
Safia Noor, Caroline Boswell, Jeff Jacobs (GLA), Giles French, Tony Halmos (City of London
Corporation), Tom O’Leary, Lauren Hyams (Parliament Education Service), Anne Bailey, Dave
Hancock, Miya Allen (BT), Andrew Bordiss, Tim Ross (Evening Standard), Myra O’Connell, Neil
Deakin Graham Wylie (Steljes), Campbell McDonald (Cabinet Office), Geoff Hunt (Colour Company),
Peter Jackling (IDA) and John Zealley, Kit Burdess (Accenture).
We would specially like to thank all the speakers and guests at the Young Citizens Action
Event at Central Hall, Westminster on 10th July 2008:
Huw Edwards, David Dimbleby, Andrew Marr, Nik Wood, Mark Easton, Jane Hill, Mark Thompson (all
BBC), Hardeep Singh Kohli, Sir Mike Rake (BT), Michael Cassidy CBE (City of London Corporation),
the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP and the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP.
Thank you to all the members of our London and UK Young Citizens’ Panels:
UK: Christopher Hennan, Eleanor Sturgeon, Jane Thomas, John McGlade, Kashmira Gander,
Oluwayemisi Adelana, Paul McMillan, Tasmia Akkas and William Nicholson.Oluwayemisi Adelana, Paul McMillan, Tasmia Akkas and William Nicholson.
London: Benjamin Brookes, Christopher Donaldson, David Shetcliffe, Elvige Pouli, Emily Csizmazia,
Jack Pepper, Maria Woodcraft, Matthew Duck, Rochelle Wilson, Vanessa Kwame and Viraj Patel.
Thank you to all the teachers, youth workers, young people, schools and community groups
that took part in this project:
Archbishops Tenison's School, Ashcroft Technology Academy, Ashmole School, Barnhill Community
High School, Beal High School, Beths Grammar School, Big Fat Voice, Bishop Ramsey School,
Bishop Stopford's Enfield, Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College BHASVIC, Campion
School, Carshalton High School for Girls, Cator Park School, Clapton Community Youth Club,
Cranford Community College, Croydon High School, Drayton Manor High School, Dulwich College,
Enfield County School, Erith School, Fairbridge (Hackney Centre), Forest School, Francis Holland
School, Fullbrook School, Glyn Technology School, Greenwich Deaf and Hearing Impaired Service,
Gumley House Convent School for Girls, Haberdashers Askes, Harris Academy Merton, Havering 6th
Form College, Haverstock School, Highams Park School, Holyhead High School, Homewood School
and Sixth Form Centre, Hounslow Manor, Ilford County High School, Ilford Ursuline High School,
James Allen's Girls' School, Jews' Free School, John Kelly Technology College, John Ruskin College,
Kingsbury High School, Lampton School, Langley Grammar School, Langley Park School for Boys,
Lea Valley High School, London Academy, Mayfield School, Mill Hill County High School, Newham
Sixth Form College, North London Collegiate School, North London International School, Notting Hill
and Ealing High School, Park High School, Pate's Grammar School, Pavilion Study Centre, Portland
Place School, Prendergast School, Ravensbourne School, Raynes Park High School, Ringwood
School, Seven Kings High School, Shooters Hill Post-16 Campus, South Camden Community School,
South Hampstead High School, St Augustines Priory, St Helen's School, St Luke's Sixth Form
College, St Marks Academy, St Mark's RC School, St Matthew Academy, St Philomenas Catholic High
School, St. Bonaventures School, St. Stephen's High School, Stockley Academy, Sutton Grammar
School for Boys, Sydney Russell School, The Charter School, The Frances Bardsley School for Girls,
The Harefield Academy, The Latymer School, The London Oratory School, The Tiffin Girls' School,
Townley Grammar School for Girls, Trinity School, UKYP, University of East London, V Youth Group,
Wanstead High, Warlingham School, Westminster Academy, Whizzkids, Wimbledon High School and
Woolwich Polytechnic School.
17

“The importance of involving young people – all people – in
political decision making is greater than ever. Globally and
locally we face new and complex challenges, it is important
that everyone takes part in the debate.”
David Dimbleby
President, Institute for Citizenship
The Institute for Citizenship
60 Queen Victoria Street,
London EC4N 4TW
Tel: 020 7844 5444
Email: info@citizen.org.uk
Website: www.citizen.org.uk

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